A Lady with a dangerous secret, a Marquess in need of a wife, an unexpected meeting, an interfering brother, a chance for lasting love.

Lady Josephina Crawford, daughter of Viscount Whitemore, harbours a devastating secret that keeps her from finding a suitable husband and risks bringing scandal to her family name should it ever be revealed. Custom, duty, and propriety stand in the way of her happiness, and within the confines of Regency England’s high society, those barricades are enough to keep her encaged forever.

Gerard Sheridan, Marquess of Richmond, heir to the Duke of Bedfordshire, struggles to deal with the enormous pressure to fulfil a role that he never expected would be his. Oil paint, color, light, and composition fill his imagination every waking moment, but all of that must be cast aside when he takes on the role of heir, after his brother’s tragic death. He needs to find a wife, and fast.

A chance encounter opens up new hope. But from behind the masks that they wear, Josephina and Gerard must face the truth that they see in each other’s eyes; they’re lost in a battle between convention and love, and within the glittering walls of Almack’s Assembly Rooms, they’re without question set up to fail.

Can Gerard overcome his doubts, and believe that love is possible? Can Josephina risk trusting that her secret could be safe with Gerard? Or will the conventions of society tear them apart forever?